Lighthouses

One of the oldest lighthouses in Europe, at Hook Head in County Wexford, Ireland, is named Hook Lighthouse and was built during the medieval period.    Crompton, Samuel, W; Rhein, Michael, J. The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses. San Diego, CA: Thunder Bay Press, 2002. ISBN 1-59223-102-0 Lighthouse Definition A lighthouse is a tall structured building which light is projected from the top, at night, and acts as a marker at daytime to guide ships. Lighthouses are put at important points on a coastline or entrances to harbors and are also used as a way of warning. http://www.lighthousepreservation.org/education.php Medieval Architecture Medieval architecture consisted of various styles: Romanesque, French style, perpendicular style, more commonly known as gothic architecture. The Romanesque style went on between 1066-1200, gothic architecture 1200-1400 and perpendicular architecture 1400-1500. http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-art/medieval-architecture.htm -Romanesque Architecture Romanesque architecture dominated in Western Europe in 11th and 12th centuries and was mainly characterized by semi-circular arches. “Romanesque” actually means “From Rome”, which was a term in the 19th century based on the fact that the Romanesque buildings represented proportion and order and are solid like the buildings of the ancient Roman Empire. https://www.durhamworldheritagesite.com/architecture/romanesque -Gothic Architecture Gothic architecture was the beginning of castles, churches and cathedrals and developed because of the architectural issues during medieval times as in the 1100s-1200s their building skills were limited. Gothic architecture tend to be tall, grand designs, slender like as they had great height.            They often included “the flying buttress” was a practical yet decorative characteristic as it helped keep the buildings structure were sophisticatedly designed. The buildings had pointed arches which were the most common and yet again decorative but practical. They supported heavy ceilings and bulkier designs and supported more than simple pillars could. Vaulted ceilings also supported the pointed arches by spreading the force and weight from upper floors. However they appeared elegant and added great detail to the room. Gargoyles are a famous feature on gothic buildings. They actually have a practical purpose, which is being a spout and allowing rain water to funnel out their mouths, just like a modern gutter. Gargoyles are also meant to scare medieval peasants into the cathedral which is the explanation for their aggressive feature. http://www.exploring-castles.com/characteristics_of_gothic_architecture_2.html Gothic architecture is still commonly seen with cathedrals and churches and is now seen as a part of history, which can never be recreated in quite the same way, which shows how special this theme turned out to be. I really like the gargoyles and am thinking of including them on my final piece because they add a lot of character to the building and are extremely recognizable for the gothic theme.